Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale
by CharlesTheBold
Summary: Crossover with BUFFY. When a new crisis comes up, Harry asks Rupert Giles to return to England and help out.
1. Return to England

**Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale**

_(DISCLAIMER: I have no business connection with HARRY POTTER or BUFFY. My only motive in writing this story is to have fun and hopefully share it)_

_(Author's Note: This story is set in fall, 2001. From the Buffy point of view this is the sixth season, shortly after "Tabula Rasa". From the Harry Potter point of view it is roughly four years after the defeat of Voldamort.)_

**Chapter 1 Return to England**

Few of his wizard friends would understand the current flight in the aeroplane, Giles reflected. If they needed to get somewhere they would use a broomstick, Apparation, Floo Powder, or a Portkey. Only a few like Arthur Weasley, who had once expressed wonder over "how aeroplanes stayed up", understood that air travel was an impressive accomplishment, a case of Muggles pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, almost literally.

But explaining air travel was a minor problem, a way of getting his mind off a serious dilemma. Back in California was a girl whom he loved almost as a daughter, Buffy Summers, and she was sick. Not physically, but in her soul. Willow Rosenberg had done something most wizards had considered impossible: pulled Buffy back from the afterlife, not as a ghost or vampire but in full body and soul. As an educated Englishman Giles knew well the haunting words from Hamlet:

_Death, that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveller returns... _

But Buffy had returned. And although her memories of the afterlife were dim, she seemed to be having extreme difficulty readjusting to Earthly life.

Buffy needed help. But so did Giles' friends in England. And so Giles had reluctantly left Buffy behind, trusting that Xander, Tara, Willow and the others could provide the help she needed. At the moment the emergency in England seemed more important.

"Attention, passengers," said the intercom," we are now beginning our descent into Heathrow –"

Giles stopped brooding and concentrated on the current situation. He was about to go through customs, and he had to make sure that all the objects in his possession looked innocently Muggle-ish.

Back in Sunnydale it was comparatively easy to keep secrets. His theory was that the Hellmouth radiated an amnesia spell that made people forget about any incident where they saw magic. It didn't work on people whose lives were dominated by magic, like Giles, Buffy, or the other members of the gang, but it did keep most of the people of Sunnydale in ignorance. In England Giles did not have that protection, and had to be careful to keep his secret.

Most of his objects passed, and he was able to explain away the rest. He was a librarian, and part of his vocation was collecting curiosities. The customs officials had to agree that the items were curious, so they finally waved him through. The fact that he was still a British subject, and with a posh accent, probably helped too. He continued into the airport corridor with relief.

Harry Potter and his new wife were there waiting for him, managing to look inconspicuous. Harry had spent his early life around Muggles and knew how to pass for one, and apparently he, or Hermione, had taught Ginny how to dress like a Muggle. If people did stare it was because Ginny Potter was a pretty redhead, not because they looked suspicious.

As they walked down the corridor they engaged in small talk, which was frustrating for all three, since they were anxious to discuss the emergency. But they were surrounded by Muggles and didn't want to be overheard. Giles wondered why Harry didn't use the Muffliato spell. It created a hum, but people might mistake that for background noise of the airport.

"Do you know how to drive?" asked Ginny. Few witches or wizards could. By the time they reached driving age, they were usually deep into O.W.L. exams, and few saw the necessity.

"Yes. Although adjusting to the left side of the road again will be a bit confusing," admitted Giles.

"We can hire a car, then, and talk in privacy," said Harry. "We'll be mostly on back roads. Some wizards live nearby, and we can take a Portkey from their place."

They finally got through the car hire. Harry and Giles got into the front seat (Giles, by American habit, tried at first to get in the left-hand door), while Ginny sat in back with Giles' luggage.

"Thanks for agreeing to come, Giles," said Harry, finally able to speak openly. "We never anticipated this crisis. I'm afraid we rather let our guard down after we got rid of Voldamort. We thought we'd live happily ever after."

"I know. Ding dong, the witch is dead."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Ginny, looking a bit shocked. After all, SHE was a witch.

"I'll explain later," murmured Giles, a bit embarrassed. He had forgotten that the wizard world probably knew nothing about WIZARD OF OZ – and if they did see the film, they would be bewildered by its inaccurate portrayal of magical creatures. He tried to change the subject. "When you're dealing with vampires, you never win for long. You dust one, and two more pop up. Sometimes the Council of Watchers gets jaded about the Slayers. One dies and another is activated. I'm horrified by that point of view, myself. When Buffy died and I thought she was gone forever –" he couldn't go on about that. He pretended to be concentrating on the road.

"We understand," said Ginny softly. "I lost a brother and a number of friends to Voldamort. That tragedy will never be made right."

"But let's discuss the current emergency," insisted Giles. "I know you were limited as to what you could say on the phone, afraid that you might be overheard. I understand that Hermione and Ron have been kidnapped. Tell me more."

TO BE CONTINUED.

_(Author's Note: The "amnesia spell" is my idea, but it does seem to explain why people in Sunnydale never remembered all the odd things that happened there) _


	2. Into the Frying Pan

**Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale**

**Chapter 2 Into the Frying Pan**

"OK," said Harry. "We think that Hermione and Ron were kidnapped by a bloke named Maury Dredfall. Have you met him?"

Giles thought back. "Once. Owns an old castle. Didn't he hide away some Muggleborns there to protect them from Voldemort? Even got in a fight with Death Eaters to protect them."

"That's right." Harry's face was grim though.

"Why suspect him? Sounds like he is one of the good guys, as they say in the States."

"He was, before the elf controversy."

"Elf controversy? I haven't heard anything about that. Remember that I've been in the States for almost seven years."

"Better start at the beginning, Harry," counselled his wife.

"All right. Hermione grew up as a Muggle for the first ten years of her life – not only that, but a very clever Muggle, reading history books most people wouldn't touch except in school."

"Even if there," added Ginny, chuckling softly.

"At first she was awed by everything in the Wizard World. But in Second Year she found out that the Wizard World was holding Elves in slavery, that even she had unwittingly benefited from it, eating food that was prepared by the elves every day. She was shocked, and she tried to explain how she felt to the rest of us."

"She'd talk to me in the girls' dorm, and she finally won me over by comparing it to my own experience," added Ginny. "I came under the influence of Voldemort's Horcrux diary for a while, and it made me do all sorts of horrid things against my will, but Harry finally saved me. But elves are under such spells of their lives, and nobody has been trying to save them."

"Yes, I understand why she'd want to free the elves," said Giles, "but I still don't know what it has to do with the current crisis."

"Hermione told me, while we were camping out, that she had only abandoned the elf campaign temporarily, because of Voldemort," revealed Harry. "Once Voldemort was out of the way, she would take it up again, and she did. While everybody else was still celebrating Voldemort's downfall, she visited Kingsley, who had just been made the new Minister for Magic."

"Kingsley was sympathetic," Ginny joined in. "He owed Hermione a huge favour, and he was old enough to remember how people used to treat him as an inferior in the Muggle world, so he could empathize with the elves. But he pointed out that things had to be reformed slowly. For one thing, there was a generation of elves who had to be dep—deporganized – what's the Muggle word?"

"Deprogrammed?" suggested Giles, who was quite used to interpreting malapropisms from Buffy.

"Yeah. Plus, elves had nowhere to live except in their masters' homes – and in a way, even Hogwarts fits that description. That would make them vulnerable to exploitation. So Hermione and Kingsley worked out a timetable for freeing the elves. First steps: prohibit the spells that made elves submissive. Educate the children at Hogwarts about the Muggle campaigns against slavery in past centuries; McGonagall agreed to that, to Hermione's relief. Introduce some Muggle labour-saving devices so wizards wouldn't be so dependent on elves. But there was no mystery what Hermione's ultimate goal was, and a lot of wizards hated that. Especially the ones who thought they were better than everyone." Ginny said the last sentence with a sneer and Giles wondered if there were wizards in particular she was thinking about.

"I'm starting to understand," mused Giles. "People with different opinions had been willing to paper over their differences because of the threat from Voldemort. But with the common enemy gone, they started to argue. And Hermione gave them something to argue about."

"Right," said Harry. "Like Slughorn. Oddly enough, Slughorn was one of the first of Voldemort's entourage to break off from him – he knew talented Muggleborns like my mother, and knew that blood purity was nonsense. But he's been accustomed to being served by elves all his life, and he was furious about Hermione's campaign."

"I've met Professor Slughorn," Giles said drily. "Pompous, rather a Colonel Blimp. I wouldn't consider him much of a threat."

"No, but Dredfall was different," explained Ginny. "He hated Voldemort because the Lord killed his father for failing in a mission, during his first regime. But personally Dredfall was an aristocrat, accustomed to being served by elves."

"So you think this Dredfall did the kidnappings."

"We think so," said Harry. "We're not sure. Hermione and Ron disappeared in London, a few days after a big public argument with Dredfall. My theory was that Dredfall was trying to get Hermione out of the way, and Ron tried to protect her, so he kidnapped both of them."

The urge to take off his glasses for a moment was big, but since Giles was driving, he could not. So instead he asked, "I hate to bring up a horrid thought, but is it possible that they were murdered?"

"My brother Bill doesn't think so," replied Ginny, "and he's about the cleverest man I know. If there's one thing Dredfall learnt in the Voldemort era, it's that killing your enemies creates martyrs, and he doesn't want to do that. But he may be trying to coerce her into doing something that will ruin the cause."

"All right," said Giles. "What is my role?"

"A couple of things. First, we hope that you can figure out if the kidnappers left clues behind, that we could follow to find Hermione."

"Can't Kingsley have the Aurors do that?" asked Giles. Was his role here important enough to justify leaving Buffy ailing in California?

"Yes," agreed Harry. "But you'd bring a different point of view. You have experience investigating mysteries, including mysteries that involve magic. Also, you're the sort who might impress Dredfall. Scholarly, dignified. He doesn't get along well with modern wizards."

"That might give me an entree," Giles agreed.

Harry chuckled. "Just saying words like 'entree' is the sort of thing that would appeal to Dredfall. You see, it's possible that Dredfall is innocent and somebody else altogether is responsible, so we'd like for somebody to size him up. Thirdly, if things require some imaginative fighting, well, we've heard about 'Giles the Ripper'." Harry seemed a little embarrassed at mentioning it.

"My God. I was hoping those stories hadn't reached the new generation."

"If you'll help out, we'll promise never to repeat them," Ginny said impishly.

"We're about there," said Harry, looking out the window. "There's an elderly Wizard couple that live here. Not much involved in the current crisis, but willing to do 'The Chosen One' a favour. They'll let us onto the Floo Network."

Giles knew that Harry was delicately avoiding a certain topic. Giles was friends with many wizards, and even respected by many who knew how he had devoted his life to guarding a Hellmouth, but by wizard standards he was a Squib, powerless. He could not even cast a simple spell, much less teleport. The Floo Network would make that unnecessary.

"So where are we Flooing to?"

"A suburban house," said Harry. "We want to introduce you to your sidek – ahem, assistants."

"I'm going to have a sidekick? Somewhat like Xander?"

Ginny giggled. Giles had told Harry about some of his odd associates in California. "No, nothing like Xander."

- - -

The trio materialized in a surprisingly modern house, and climbed out of the fireplace into the living room. There was a heavyset young man there, dressed in Muggle clothes and watching TV, and he showed no particular surprise at seeing people enter the house in this odd manner. Presumably, this was his assistant, and Giles would have to be very careful not to say "sidekick".

"Giles," said Harry. "I'd like you to meet my cousin, Dudley Dursley."

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. The British Scoobie Gang

**Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale**

**Chapter 3 The British Scoobie Gang**

Giles stared at Dudley. The Watcher had met Harry just after his fifth year at Hogwarts, just after the famous break-in of the Ministry by Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and two other loyal friends. When the subject of Harry's home life came up, Harry had talked about his "insufferable" Muggle relations, particularly his bullying cousin Dudley, who seemed to have no redeeming traits. Yet here was Dudley, apparently willing to help in the rescue of Hermione. But Giles could not reconcile the two ideas at the moment, because it would be utterly rude for him to question Harry in Dudley's presence.

"Oi! Uncle Rupert!" cried a female voice from above.

Giles turned, to see a familiar figure walking down the stairs – though she had grown during his absence. His niece, Roberta Giles, who preferred to be called Bobbie.

The Giles family had always been a bit odd, because in each generation roughly half of the members turned out to be wizards, and half didn't. Nobody could figure out if they were a wizard family with a large number of Squibs, or a Muggle family with a lot of wizards. As Hermione once pointed out, the existence of the Giles family actually implied something was wrong with the classifications in the first place.

Bobbie, at least, was a witch, and she had attended Hogwarts: a Ravenclaw, in the same year as Ginny. She had been expelled in her sixth year as an undesirable Muggleborn, by Voldemort's regime (and considering the family's opposition to Voldemort, they considered it rather a compliment to be undesired by the Dark Lord). But the following year, with the school freed and put under McGonagall, she had returned and completed her education. Giles didn't know all the details; he had moved to the States to take up his Watcher duties during the year before Voldemort's coup. But his family had at least called him to tell him what had happened.

"Bobbie! What are you doing here?" asked Giles in happy surprise.

"I live here."

"But – " Giles turned to Dudley in confusion.

"Big D lives here, too. We live together, and-- do I need to spell things out?"

"Ahem, no," muttered Giles, feeling a little embarrassed. It was scarcely news to him that young people paired up rather avidly. Xander and Anya, Buffy and Riley for a while, even Willow and Tara. He was having two problems accepting this particular situation: first, he still thought of Bobbie as a little girl; second, Dursley did not strike him as at all an impressive lover – although the nickname Big D might provide a hint of what Bobbie saw in him. There was a certain telly programme in the States in which the heroine called her boyfriend Mr. Big…

"Can we get back to discussing Hermione?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Yes, of course," agreed Giles, thankful for the change of subject. "May we sit down?"

They settled into chairs.

"We want to examine the kidnapping site without being spotted," said Harry, "but the problem is, a lot of us are too recognizable."

"Everybody's heard of the boy with the glasses and the scar," pointed out Ginny.

"The Weasleys became rather famous during the war too, and the ginger hair is a well-known trait," added Harry. "And Luna is – well, let's just say she rather attracts attention. On the other hand, wizards are likely to ignore two Muggles, particularly one who has just come from the States."

"But as Muggles, we're rather vulnerable," observed Giles. "We can't even put up a Shield Charm."

"That's where I come in," said Bobbie. "I was in Dumbledore's Army, and I've learnt more since. I'll be standing bodyguard, under Harry's Invisibility Cloak."

At an earlier time of life, Giles might have been embarrassed at seeking the protection of a girl twenty years his junior. But dealing with Buffy had solved that problem years ago.

"And Big, um, Mr. Dursley's role is--?"

"I can beat people up," said Dudley curtly.

"Well, yes—" Giles said dubiously.

"It could be handy," said Harry, "particularly since wizards don't expect it. They rarely fight with their fists. Even Malfoy rarely tried physical violence, except that one day on the Hogwarts Express, and even then he used a spell first."

"Once a Death Eater threatened me with a Cruciatus curse, and Big D overpowered him," said Bobbie.

Taking off his glasses and pinching his nose, he thought it over for a moment. "Very well, I'll accept your judgement," said Giles. "When do we get started?"

"Tomorrow," said Harry. "It's already late evening."

Eventually the meeting broke up. Giles agreed to spend the night on the downstairs sofa. He did, though, manage to catch Harry before he Disapparated outdoors.

"You and your cousin seem to have hit it off," said Giles. "How?"

"Oh, Dudley used to be a mean bully when he was a kid," admitted Harry. "At the time I didn't see past that, but his opinion of wizards did make a sort of sense."

"How so?"

"Look at it from his point of view. First, his Mum and Dad kept filling him with wizard stereotypes. The facts he did know was that his Aunt Lily – my Mum – was murdered by another wizard, and that a big lot of evil wizards wanted to attack and conquer Muggles. Plus most of the wizards he did happen to meet – Hagrid, Dumbledore – tended to be very condescending or worse. Hagrid did hex him with a pig's tail the first time they met." Harry chuckled in spite of himself.

"I see."

"But while his family was hiding out from Voldemort, he met Roberta. She didn't condescend; she was grateful to him for beating up the Death Eater, and she was willing to – well, you know. That gave him a more positive view of wizards. Meanwhile Hermione pointed out to ME that wizards could learn from Muggles, that I'd let my uncle and aunt ruin my opinion of Muggle culture. So treat him as a potentially valuable ally, Giles."

"I will."

Roberta set Giles up with pillows and blankets, then went up and disappeared into their bedroom. Giles tried not to imagine what was going on there.

_I hope I can solve this case to everybody's satisfaction,_ he said to himself before drifting off to sleep_. Then I can go back to Sunnydale with Buffy, where I really belong._

TO BE CONTINUED.

_(AUTHOR'S NOTE: I introduced Roberta in an earlier story called DUDLEY DURSLEY AND THE DEATH EATERS, and it was there that Dudley beat up the Death Eater who was cursing the girl)_


	4. Knocking about Knockturn

**Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale**

**Chapter 4 Knocking about Knockturn**

Hermione and Ron were last seen in Knockturn Alley, according to George Weasley, so that is where the trio would start the investigation. Just what the pair had been doing in the seedy part of the shopping district was one of the mysteries to solve.

It would have been nice to have the resourceful George along, but the surviving twin was ill at the moment, apparently a lingering effect of the Sectumsempra curse with which he had been hit during the war.

Ginny had pointed out that they would have to wear wizard-style robes, lest people think that two Muggles had stumbled upon the place and were snooping around to find wizard secrets. Dudley complained that the robes made him look like a girl. Giles wondered how Dudley would react if he ever saw a girl like Buffy fight. The thought almost made him chuckle, but he realized that there was no way to arrange this. Not to mention, there were other things he needed to be thinking about at the moment.

Giles was pleased to see how Diagon Alley was recovering, after the blight it had suffered during the war. Ollivander was back in the wand-selling business. There were no longer Muggle-borns forced to beg for aid. Even the Weasleys' novelty shop was open, though George was ill and Ron missing. Giles had run a store himself for more than a year, and could discern subtle signs of prosperity or the opposite.

"I think I better go to Gringotts and exchange some of my dollars and pounds into Galleons," mused Giles as they approached the center of the market district.

"Good, we might need some reward money," said Bobbie. She was walking around visible with the Cloak in her handbag, as long as in they were in the safe part of the Alleys. "But it wouldn't be a good idea to mention that you are a friend of Harry's."

"Why not? Isn't he considered a hero?"

"Not by goblins. The three friends set free a watch-dragon during the war, and it went on a rampage through the front lobby. The goblins were not happy, as you can imagine, and they have long memories."

After getting the money the three investigators turned into Knockturn Alley. Bobbie turned into a small sub-alley to put on the Invisibility Cloak; in this area it would be good to have an invisible ally in reserve.

This part was definitely more squalid: not only because of signs of dark arts, but in the Muggle sense as well. On one shop Giles spotted an advert poster picture of near-naked women; being a wizard picture, they moved in provocative ways. That seemed to fascinate Dudley. Since Bobbie was invisible Giles couldn't see her expression, or even whether she noticed what her boyfriend was looking at.

The alley wound about for a while, and finally reached the largest store in this section.

"What is it?" asked Giles.

"Stop!" whispered Bobbie. "This is Borgin and Burkes. Borgin is in Azkaban because he helped teleport Bellatrix and Fenrir into Hogwarts the night Dumbledore was murdered. The store's under new management, but that hasn't made it any more respectable."

"What about Burkes?" asked Dudley.

"He died rather gruesomely when Voldemort took over. According to Harry, he swindled Voldemort's mother when she was pregnant. Voldemort started out life penniless."

It took a lot to make Dudley shudder, but that did it. He may have been considering how his family had treated Harry Potter during his early years, and how Harry had taken no revenge other than a few pranks like locking Dudley in a zoo cage.

"I'll give the shop a try," said Giles. "Please follow my lead." He walked into the shop. Several clerks looked up, and the manager came to greet the customers.

"May I help you?" said the manager, in a tone of voice that sounded more like 'May I harm you?' "

"I beg your pardon, I'm a bit hard of hearing," Giles said loudly. The wizards' disdain for Muggle technology was handy; a deaf wizard wouldn't be expected to wear a visible hearing aid. "I'm looking for a couple of young people in their earlier twenties. Girl with bushy brown hair, boy with ginger hair. I'm willing to pay a few Galleons for information."

"A 'few Galleons' is rubbish," said the manager. "If you're not ready to spend at least a hundred, get out."

"Things awfully," said Giles, cheerfully and loudly, exiting the store as a bewildered Dudley followed.

"Hard at hearing?" Bobbie's voice repeated when they were back in the alley.

"Gave me an excuse to talk loudly. Even if the manager didn't want to cooperate, somebody else in the store might. Ah, here comes the somebody."

One of the clerks slithered up. "Heard your offer. For five Galleons I'll tell you where I saw the couple go."

Giles dropped the coins in his hand.

"That way," said the clerk, "toward the tinker's shop. For five Galleons more, I'll tell you who was stalking them. Ulp!"

Dudley had thrown the clerk against the wall. "I've got a better idea. You tell us about the stalker, and I won't break your nose." Dudley seemed delighted to be doing something useful.

"Aggh! All right. Twenty-something girl, curly blonde hair, odd rash on her fore-head. Had old school robes on – Ravenclaw badge, I think."

"Name?"

"Dunno."

"And you were going to charge us five Galleons just for that?"

"I was trying to cheat you," the clerk said frankly. "Oww!"

"Let him go, Dudley," said Bobbie's voice. "We don't want to attract attention."

The disembodied voice in the dark alley seemed to scare the clerk more. A frustrated sigh came from Dudley's lips, but he let the clerk go. The instant the latter was released he scampered back toward the shop. Dudley looked as if he might have been tempted to kick the receding bum if the robes weren't in the way.

"So what's wrong with attracting attention?" grumbled Dudley.

"They might notice you have no wands – and once they realized that, they could cast nasty spells on you. You're strong, Big D, but that only helps if they're close enough to hit. I may not be able to hold off several wizards at once."

The reference to his strength seemed to mollify Dudley for his failure to hit the clerk. Giles tried to focus on the important thing, finding evidence that might lead to Hermione. He walked in the direction pointed out by the clerk, hoping that at least that was reliable. It took them deeper into the alley.

Finally they reached an area that seemed to be the site of a scuffle. There were several scorch marks on the walls, where wayward curses might have hit during a fight. The nearest shoppe was empty, probably because its owner had been arrested for something or other; it meant few people would come by here and attackers would have a place to hide for an ambush. Giles wondered again just why Hermione and Ron would have come here.

Seeing a small object on the ground, Giles bent to pick it up.

"What is it?" asked Bobbie.

"A woman's compact. Could you examine it, Bobbie? I'm not familiar with these things. I presume it belonged to the lady with the rash."

A disembodied hand took the compact and then retreated into nothingness with it. Even knowing how the Invisibility Cloak worked, that was rather spooky, particularly in a creepy place like Knockturn Alley.

"The compact itself is fairly ordinary," said Bobbie, "but this isn't the usual makeup powder. It looks like it was precipitated from a powerful potion. I wonder – Marietta Edgecombe?"

"Who?"

"A girl in Dumbledore's Army. She WAS in Ravenclaw. She betrayed us to Umbridge, and Hermione cursed her."

"What sort of curse?"

"A bad case of the zits, spelling out the word 'SNEAK'. They say it never went away completely. Marietta must use the magic makeup to hide the effects."

Giles burst out laughing. Teenagers, to whom a pimple was a worse plague than an attack of yellow fever! Even Dudley caught the joke and laughed.

Then Giles sobered. Hermione had been kidnapped by enemies, and so it would be useful to know who might wish her ill. And the Hellmouth had no fury like a girl with a case of the zits.

TO BE CONTINUED

_(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Marietta's betrayal and Hermione's curse occurred in the book version of ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. The movie version handled the exposure of the Army differently)_


	5. Dredfall Manor

**Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale**

**Chapter 5 Dredfall Manor**

Giles drove the car toward Dredfall's estate. He found it a little difficult to stick to the left side of the road, after several years of driving in the States, but fortunately this was a country road and few other cars were on it.

"We don't need to go so much undercover this time," Giles commented. "Dredfall knows that I'm a Muggle who is interested in and knows about witchcraft and does research into the supernatural; I've asked permission to visit and look at some of his magical artefacts. Bobbi, it's OK to let him know you're my niece; we'll pretend that you're helping me with the research. And there's no harm in saying that Dudley is your boyfriend."

"Sounds like this is going to be boring," complained Dudley, presumably meaning he wouldn't have a chance to get in a fight.

"I see the mansion up ahead," said Bobbi, ignoring Dudley's whining. Giles assumed she had gotten used to it.

Giles turned his attention back to the road. "Where?" All he could see ahead were some horses grazing in fields on either side of the road.

"Right there."

"I don't see it."

"Neither do I," said Dudley.

"But – oh, I get it," said Bobbi. "He has a _Repello Muggletum_ spell on it. Even though you two are in the secret, the spell is treating you as Muggles and hiding the mansion." She took her wand and waved it toward her two companions. "_Finite!"_

Suddenly a large dwelling, almost a castle, appeared half a mile down the road. It didn't look like a modern Hollywood-like imitation of a fortress, but the real thing, dating back hundreds of years. If Dredfall lived there most of the time, keeping the twenty-first century at bay, no wonder that he was obsessed with tradition and reluctant to change.

"The horses should have given it away," commented Giles, shaking his head. "Those are thoroughbreds that a rich man might breed for show – not ordinary farm animals."

"But wizards don't usually go in for horses," mused Bobbi. "Harry and his friends have used thestrals and hippogriffs for their flying ability, but they are rare – Hagrid got them for Hogwarts and the Order. Most wizards prefer to ride broomsticks for fun."

"Maybe the Dredfall bloke likes controlling live things," suggested Dudley.

It was a startlingly sophisticated idea to hear from Dudley, Giles thought, though he may have thought of it because he used to like bullying people. Perhaps somebody like Dredfall might lump both elves and horses together in his mind as creatures who were bound to serve humans, blinding himself to the human emotions that elves could feel.

The driveway ended in a sort of roundabout just front of the main door, in the centre of the roundabout was a statue of a man, maybe a Dredfall ancestor. There was nobody here to tell the visitors what to do, so Giles parked on the roundabout pavement, leaving enough room for something else to pass. Wizards, he recalled, didn't think much of motorcars, using them only when they had to pass themselves off as Muggles. Arthur Weasley was considered a bit odd for being interested in them.

Giles knocked at the main door. It was opened – by an elf.

"I'm Rupert Giles, and this is my niece and her fiancé. We have an appointment with Mr. Dredfall."

"Yes. Come in, masters – mistress."

Bobbi looked sick. Hermione had taught her that accepting the servitude of elves was wrong, yet she had to pretend to accept it now, to avoid giving away their mission.

The elves showed them into a large drawing room, then vanished into thin air. Dudley, who apparently had not seen an elf Apparate before, looked startled, then tried to cover up by looking macho.

Giles hoped the two of them could keep it together long enough to get the information they needed.

"Ah, Mr. Giles. Pleased to meet you." A robed figure entered the room; the man was a few years older than Giles but seemed still vigorous. "Or should I call you Ripper?"

Bobbi, more cheerful now that she didn't have to deal with the elf, giggled.

"Ahem, I would prefer Rupert."

"Very well, Rupert. I've been very impressed by hearing of your exploits in the States. And without the ability to do magic!"

From some wizards that last sentence would sound condescending; but Giles interpreted it as a compliment to his other skills. "I do have the aid of two witches – Willow Rosenberg and Tara McLay."

Dredfall asked about some of his exploits, and Giles humoured him, to break the ice. However unpleasant they seemed at the time (Giles frequently got hit on the head), the "exploits" probably sounded exciting to somebody who did not have to go through them. Giles wondered if Hollywood might get interested in them, if they ever found out about vampires.

"Is there a girl here?" Dudley suddenly asked.

Giles felt a sinking sensation. Finesse was not Dudley's thing; he must have found the conversation awfully boring, and cut directly to the point.

Several seconds passed, and Bobbi said "That's a nice floral display on the table there. It looked like a feminine touch."

Giles tried to avoid sighing with relief. She had ingeniously covered for her boyfriend, pretending that he had spotted a clue to a girl's presence.

"Ah, yes," said Dredfall. "Well, let me explain. A friend of mine had three kids who came down with dragon pox – kids catch things from one another, you know. They're on the mend, but the St. Mungo people haven't been able to heal the pustules yet, and they're very sensitive about their appearance. So I'm letting them stay here, where they can do spells and ride brooms and horses, without having to see other people. Pardon me for not bringing them in."

"Yes, that's very generous of you," said Giles blandly. "I suppose that I can see your artefacts without intruding on them?"

"Oh, yes, come this way."

On any other occasion Giles might have been genuinely interested in the artefacts: a sword that wounded if used once and healed if touched to the wound afterward; a wand that did the opposite of what a wizard tried to make it do; a very old edition of THE TALES OF BEADLE THE BARD. But now he was simply here to distract Dredfall's attention, while Bobbi kept watching and listening for clues. Dudley, thank goodness, kept his mouth shut.

Finally Giles brought the visit to a close, effusively promising to show Dredfall hospitality if he ever came to the States – which the recluse was unlikely ever to do.

"I think he done it," said Dudley, as soon as they were back in the car.

"So do I," said Giles, winching at the poor grammar. Dudley made Buffy's Valley Girl slang sound like the Queen's English. "That story about the children sounded a bit too rehearsed. But I'm puzzled by why he mentioned THREE children. Hermione and Ron, but who's the third?"

"If I'm right about Marietta Edgecombe," mused Bobbi. "maybe she's guarding the other two. Her rash may even have given Dredfall the idea for the dragon pox story."

"Good idea."

"So what do we do next?"

"Hmm," mused Giles. "Dudley, do you know how to drive?"

"Yeah."

"OK. I'll drive far enough to be out of direct line of sight, then we'll redeploy. Bobbi and I will get under the Invisibility Cloak and double back, while you drive away. Hopefully Dredfall will think that all three of us are in the car." Unspoken was the thought that it would get Dudley out of the way so that he wouldn't blurt anything out this time around. If their spying established that Hermione and Ron were being held captive here, they could rejoin Dudley this evening and attempt a rescue. If not – then they would have to start over with a different plan to find the missing friends, and it would take Giles a long time to get back to Buffy's life, where he belonged.

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Thinking Evil

**Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale**

**Chapter 6 THINKING EVIL**

Travelling under the Invisibility Cloak turned out to be more complicated than Giles expected. There was a lot of ground to cover, and Bobbi, being young and impatient, tended to walk faster than Giles. In the end they had to hold hands tightly to make sure both stayed under the Cloak. Giles was rather impressed that Harry had been able to share the Cloak with friends without mishap, but then he had had years of practice.

Finally they reached the front door again. Giles tried the knob, but not surprisingly it was locked, and DredFall had rendered it immune to Bobbi's _Alohamora_ spell. "Now what?" she asked.

"I suppose the best thing would be to circle the mansion from the outside and look in the windows. At least we can search the ground floor. If that doesn't work, we'll try something else."

They chose, somewhat arbitrarily, to go to the left and circle the mansion clockwise. It was not easy, because at a number of points Dredfall or one of his ancestors had planted hedges against the outer wall, and they had to make sure the Cloak did not get caught in them. Giles was wondering how robust the Cloak was. Could it be ripped? If so, would the damaged area fail to conceal the area behind it, or would all the magic leak out and leave it a useless net? Harry had not told him; perhaps Harry did not know. According to legend the Cloak had been given to Harry's ancestors by Death, and Giles had met enough dead people to be spooked by the story.

Fortunately they finally found a window whose blinds were open and which displayed a lit-up room. The two Gileses looked in.

It was a bedroom, and there was a young blonde girl lying in the bed, in spite of the fact that this was still late afternoon. Giles shifted position, trying to see her face, but in the process his Cloak brushed against a hedge. It stayed intact, but created a rustling noise.

The girl raised her head and looked toward the window. She was dressed in some sort of nightgown, and her face was horribly disfigured by sores. Giles was shocked, not only by her appearance, but at his own behaviour. He felt like a voyeur, and worse.

He took Bobbi's hand and guided her away from the window. Not because he feared being seen – they were still under the Cloak – but because he saw no point in spying any longer.

"Dredfall was telling the truth," he whispered. "He's playing host to some sick children. And to think I suspected him of being a kidnapper! I'm disgusted with myself. _Honi soit qui mal y pense_."

"Pardon?"

"French proverb; roughly meaning shame upon him who thinks evil of another."

"It was my idea, too, Giles. Don't blame yourself."

"Yes, but I'm a man, and I was spying on a sick girl. Let's get out of here. We're back to square one of the investigation."

Giles would have liked to get off the property as soon as possible, but they still needed to stay together and under the Cloak. He hated the idea of explaining his spying to an innocent Dredfall, if the latter should see them.

It took almost ten minutes to reach the gate, and they were about through when Bobbi suddenly held her uncle back. "Hoofbeats, behind us."

They turned around, and saw a horse galloping toward him. On its back, to Giles's surprise, was the pockmarked blonde girl. She was still wearing her nightgown, though she had hitched it up so that she could ride astride.

"Do you think she can see us?" Bobbi said nervously.

"Don't know; let's be careful. Stand out of the horse's path, but don't step on the grass – she might see our footprints."

The girl and horse were about ten feet away when the horse reared up, and Giles was afraid it would throw its rider. But she stayed on and spent several seconds calming it. Giles, who had some experience with horses, admired her skill. Then the girl looked around her.

"Is that you, Harry? With the Cloak? Somehow I sensed it nearby, and horses get spooked when they can smell humans without seeing them."

Giles froze, not sure how to reply yet.

"I'm Hermione! They gave me Polyjuice Potion to disguise my appearance, when they knew they'd have visitors, in case I got spotted – oh!"

Giles finally came to a decision, and threw off the Cloak.

"I'm Rupert Giles, and this is my niece Roberta. We met once. Harry sent us. He didn't come himself, because Dredfall would know HE was looking for you, whereas I had a plausible excuse to visit."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

Giles pointed at the Cloak. "Harry thinks that is the third Deathly Hallow from the tale in BEADLE THE BARD. Only his closest friends know that."

"OK. Thank God I've got friends here! Let's get off the property and out of sight." She urged her horse forward, out the gate and onto the road, while the rescuers followed.

"How did you get the horse?" Giles asked.

"There were several in his stables, and I rushed there after I sensed the Cloak near my room. Dredfall didn't know that I had had some good riding lessons while living as a Muggle, and knew how to do things like saddle a horse. Without my wand or the ability to order elves around, he thought I was helpless. I certainly didn't tell him otherwise."

"Where is Ron?"

"Elsewhere in the house, I think. I don't know where. They separated us days ago. We've got to rescue him!"

"Let's take care of you first. I think I can break the Polyjuice Spell," said Bobbi. "Better get away from the horse; the spell might spook it."

Hermione dismounted, but looked a little unsteady. Giles led the horse a safe distance away.

"_Finite!"_ called Bobbi, waving her wand.

The result of that was startling. The blonde girl grew up a couple of inches, and her long blonde hair became browner and bushier, but—

"The pox didn't go away." Bobbi said, confused.

"The dragon pox is real," said Hermione. "Marietta poisoned me with it."

"What?" cried Giles, shocked. That was almost as horrifying as a vampire stealing a human's soul.

"When we catch up with Marietta – well, for once I won't get upset if Big D beats up a girl," said Bobbi angrily.

"No, no – concentrate on rescuing Ron. I brought some of my trouble on myself," admitted Hermione.

"How do you figure that?"

Hermione sighed. "When I gave Marietta a case of the zits, it seemed a good idea at the time. We were surrounded by enemies, Umbridge on one side and Voldamort on the other, and Marietta stabbed us in the back. But once Voldamort was dead and Umbridge in Azkaban, I should have fixed Marietta's face. I didn't; months of deprivations, in constant fear of capture and death, had coarsened me a bit. And it's always hard for a third party to fix somebody else's curse. She poured out to me how horrid her life had been, living with a rash. So maybe she had a right to get even."

"I don't buy that, and besides, there are limits," declared Giles. "Bobbi, can you Apparate Hermione somewhere that she can get treatment? I'll wait here for Dudley. When we're back together, we'll rescue Ron."

Bobbi vanished with Hermione, and Giles stared at the horse. Technically he was guilty of theft if he kept the horse, but they might need it tonight to rescue Ron. Giles decided that it would be justifiable to keep it until the rescue, then return it to its owner. Of course Dredfall would be too busy in Azkaban to enjoy the ownership, but Giles' conscience would be clear.

Hermione was right. When fighting corruption, one had to be careful not to be corrupted oneself.

TO BE CONTINUED


	7. Giles Charges into Action

**Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale**

**Chapter 7 Giles Charges Into Action**

Bobbie rematerialized about an hour later.

"Hullo, Uncle Rupert," she said. "I got Hermione to St. Mungo's Hospital. The healer said it should be easy to heal Hermione; he was surprised that she hadn't gotten treatment yet. I didn't think it was wise to tell him anything about the whys. Uncle, don't you think we could call in the Aurors now? We've got Hermione and we've got proof that she's been maltreated."

"I would," said Giles, "except for the matter of timing. Dredfall must know by now that Hermione has escaped; he might respond by moving Ron somewhere else. I think we ought to attack as soon as Dudley gets back with the car."

"I borrowed a cell phone from a Muggle friend whilst I was out; I'll try to reach him now."

She handed her wand to Giles, and took the phone out of her pocket. Magic did bizarre things to electronics, which was why witches and wizards had difficulty using modern technology like computers. At magic-heavy places like Hogwarts, the Ministry for Magic, or even the Dredfall mansion, a cell phone would be useless. But a wandless witch standing almost a hundred yards from the house should be able to use it safely. She spoke into it, and a few minutes later Dudley drove up in Giles' car.

Dudley was indignant on learning how Marietta had deliberately given Hermione a disfiguring disease, and Giles was surprised at hearing Dudley express so much empathy. Then he remembered that Dudley had once had to have surgery to remove a pig's tail given him by an angry wizard. It would give Dudley reason to sympathize.

"All right," said Giles. "If they've noticed Hermione's escape, they know that we're likely to come back to rescue Ron, and they have probably improved their defences. Any ideas?"

"When we were fighting Death Eaters," mused Bobbi, "we learnt that the key was to do the unexpected, and fight Muggle style. What do you think, Big D?"

Dudley contemplated the mansion. "Break in a window."

Giles looked at the facade. "There are windows, but they're not the modern sort. Stained glass that has remained intact for centuries. Probably rather sturdy. What can we break them with?"

"Crash through one with our horse. I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger do that in a film."

"Ahem," said Giles, both impressed and dismayed by the violent suggestion. This wasn't a film and things could end in a few possibilities, some of which would be terrible. "Do either you have extensive experience with riding swift horses?"

Dudley muttered something about "too heavy". Bobbi said "Just brooms in Quidditch. But don't YOU have experience in horseback riding, Uncle Rupert?"

"Yes," Giles replied reluctantly, "but I don't feel very much like Arnold Schwarzenegger."

- - - - -

Ten minutes later, Giles urged the horse into a trot. Bobbi and Dudley had gone ahead under the Invisibility Cloak, and would be in a position to rush in once Giles created the opening. Giles needed Bobbie, because once he got inside he would have shot his bolt, and would be a defenceless Muggle in a wizard stronghold.

About a third of the way there, horse and rider were proceeding at a full gallop. At this distance, he could make out the design of the stained glass better, and was rather impressed at the artistry. Did he really want to crash through it like a barbarian? Part of him dreaded breaking the window. He hoped that Bobbi could work a _Reparo_ spell once the crisis was over, or if not, that they could find a more powerful wizard to do the job.

Two-thirds of the way there, Giles realized that the logistics were crucial. He had to arrange for the horse's hooves to crash through, then ride clear of the shattered glass. He could not in good conscience risk injury to an innocent horse, plus Giles had a healthy sense of self-preservation of his own.

"Now!" he said to himself, and urged his mount to jump.

CRRRASHtinkletinkletinkle.

They landed in the formal drawing room, and Giles tried to reign in the horse as quickly as possible, before their momentum threw them into furniture or the opposite wall.

"That was awesome, if I do say so myself," Giles said out loud. Sometimes Buffy's Valley Girl vocabulary could be very expressive.

Of course the noise was audible all over the house. Giles heard footsteps, and Dredfall rushed through with his wand drawn.

"_Expelliarmus_!" cried Bobbi from the window.

The wand leapt out of Dredfall's hand, and Giles caught it. It was useless to him, but at least it was out of the enemy's hands. Bobbi and Dudley climbed through the broken window, and on a sudden impulse, Giles handed the wand to Dudley. Dredfall knew that Giles was a Muggle, but he might still think Dudley was a wizard who could deplay the wand.

Dismounting, he led the horse to the front door, and urged it outdoors. Doubtless quite bewildered as to the ways of humans, it seemed quite eager to leave.

"Find Ron," Giles ordered Bobbi. "Or failing that, find Marietta and make her tell where Ron is."

Bobbi nodded and went down the corridor in which Dredfall had appeared. Dudley pointed the wand at Dredfall. Both the wand and his own bulk made Dudley look very intimidating, to people who weren't familiar with his personality.

"Hermione looked terrible," said Giles angrily. "Why did you kidnap her, Dredfall? You used to fight evil, when you saw it in Voldemort."

"That girl was a threat," replied Dredfall. "She wanted to destroy the wizard culture and make us all live like Muggles."

"I am a Muggle." His tone told Dredfall that he was annoyed with the answer.

"Yes, but you have a healthy respect for magic and the practices that have grown around it. The Granger girl doesn't. Just learning a lot of spells – yes, I KNOW she was the best in her class – doesn't give her a feel for the culture."

"To her, what you call 'culture' is simply a euphemism for enslaving elves. She thought elves were entitled to human rights."

"Oh, I understand where she's coming from," Dredfall said condescendingly. "Muggles believe humans are the only intelligent race, and that they are basically the same under the skin. That's how she was brought up, and she retained that point of view even after learning that she was a witch. But elves, goblins, and so on are different from humans. You fight vampires, Giles. Do you consider them human, with human rights? Don't you find it OK to stake them and ask questions later?"

"Vampires are inherently evil," said Giles stiffly. Fortunately he had not told Dredfall about Angel, or for that matter, the unpredictable Spike.

"And elves are servile, and goblins are greedy, and I am sure they would say humans have their own infuriating qualities. But over the centuries we have carefully built up a culture that allows us to co-exist – and she wants to destroy that."

"Just how pervasive is this culture of yours? Ron's family functions quite well without exploiting elves. We're really talking about a few rich families that can't function without parasiting off somebody else's labour."

"What about the elves that do the drudgery at Hogwarts?"

"Headmistress McGonagall and Hermione are discussing how that could be reformed."

"Oy! Uncle Rupert!" called out Bobbi's voice. She entered the drawing room with Marietta, whom she had tied up rather efficiently. Bobbi was holding two wands, having apparently captured Marietta's.

"Have you found Ron?" asked Giles.

"Not yet. But Marietta says she'll tell us where he is if we don't turn her over to the Ministry. I didn't think I should make that decision myself."

Giles thought over it. "Hermione was inclined to be forgiving, because she felt guilty over the zits spell. Dudley?"

Dudley glared at Marietta. "If it were up to me, I'd beat you up, bitch. But I'll go along."

"Wait!" cried Dredfall, realizing what his fate was to be. "I can tell you—"

"We're not giving you the same deal," Giles said angrily. "You kidnapped Hermione and she had done nothing to provoke you. Marietta?"

Marietta pointed at a decorative vase at the side of the drawing room. "He's in there. The stuff at the top is phony."

"In there? There's not enough room," said Giles.

"We made Hermione put an extension spell on it. It's a lot bigger inside than outside."

Bobbi walked over to the vase and pointed her wand at the top. "_Wingardium Leviosa_!"

The "stuff at the top" flew upward from the vase, followed a few minutes later by a young redheaded man. He bounced off the ceiling and pushed himself down to the floor.

"Wow!" said Dudley, looking impressed. "I don't care what Mum and Dad say; some of these magic spells are cool."

"It was a lot cooler to look at than it was to be inside it," Ron said sulkily. "But thank you for coming after me."

Bobbi turned to Marietta. "OK, you can run now. You might get away faster if you can get on that horse out there. But just keep this in mind: Hermione was feeling guilty about that rash, and she might have healed it if you had asked. But too late now."

"Bollocks!" swore Marietta, stomping out the door.

"So that's it?" asked Dudley. "We've won?"

"No," Ron said. "We've got over the immediate crisis, but there's still a lot to do—"

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. Muggle Studies

**Harry Potter and the Watcher from Sunnydale**

**Chapter 8 Muggle Studies**

In spite of Ron's glumness, the others felt that some celebration was in order. Dudley and Bobbi drove over to the nearest town, where they checked into a hotel room. Giles guessed that they would not want to be interrupted in their celebration, though he didn't want to think any farther than that.

Meanwhile Ron, once he had found his wand, Apparated Giles and himself to his family's house, the Burrow. Molly and Arthur Weasley had never had a fully Muggle guest before, but anybody who saved their son and Hermione was welcome to them. What's more, Arthur loved having a visitor whom he could ask about Muggle machinery, though Giles did not often know the answers. Meanwhile, Ron went off to visit Hermione in the hospital; Harry and Ginny were already there.

The Burrow was quieter than it had been in earlier years, though of course Giles had no basis for comparison. There was a picture of Fred in the sitting room, and it cast a rather sombre mood on the room, although the twin in the picture itself was silently laughing and joking. The surviving twin George no longer lived at the Burrow; perhaps inhabiting alone the room which he used to share with Fred was too much for him. Ginny had of course moved out when she married Harry Potter.

Giles was given the twins' old room, but he asked Ron to meet him privately down in the Weasleys' sitting room. After Molly and Arthur had gone to bed, the two men met.

"There's something I want to know, and I believe I'm entitled to an explanation," declared Giles.

"What is it?" Ron seemed a little apprehensive.

"Why was Harry so reluctant to bring the Ministry into the case and ask for Aurors? I mean, Minister Shacklebolt is your friend, and approves of your plans."

"He approves of our Plan A," agreed Ron, pausing a moment before continuing. "But he doesn't know about our Plan B."

"What's Plan B? And does it explain why you and Hermione were knocking around Knockturn Alley?"

"Yeah." Ron hesitated. "I promised Hermione I wouldn't talk about it, but we didn't put a Secret-Keeper spell on it, and I think you've earned the right to know."

"Thank you."

"There's an island off the Scottish coast," said Ron. "It's been unplottable for at least a century. Nobody knows why, but they've made use of it. While Voldemort was in charge, lots of Muggle-borns took refuge there to avoid Umbridge and her goons. Later, some of Voldemort's lesser supporters hid out there in turn. Mundungus Fletcher also hung out there for a while. He had attacked Hermione once, and she retaliated by using the Cruciatus curse for the only time in her life. Dung didn't relish running into her again, particular after everybody started regarding her as one of the heroes of the war. Actually he DID run into her, and bought time by telling Hermione about the island. Hermione was feeling guilty about the Cruciatus curse, so she let him go."

"And it became part of her Plan B?"

"Yes. If something went wrong and wizards started oppressing elves again, she thought we could make the island a refuge for elves."

"But wouldn't the Voldemort supporters on the island be a threat to the elves?"

"No. Elves are actually quite powerful, Giles; among other things they can Apparate through shields that can keep wizards out. What keeps them from using their power against humans is their intense sense of loyalty. But it's loyalty to SPECIFIC humans, not humanity in general. The elves will know that they owe nothing to the humans on the island."

"I see. Now, about Knockturn Alley---"

"Yeah. To get to the island requires a powerful spell, and the secret-keeper of the spell is in Knockturn Alley. He sells access for a high fee, no questions asked. So Hermione and I went to negotiate with him."

"Without telling anybody else but Harry and Ginny."

"No, we were playing a rather dangerous game. People in the wizard government, if they knew about the island, would want to raid it and arrest the Voldemort supporters, and after that it wouldn't be a refuge any more. Hermione and I had to keep the Ministry from knowing what we were doing. Not that we liked lying to Kingsley, but Hermione felt the welfare of the elves was more important."

"Then Marietta found what you were doing."

"Right. I don't know how, but she got wind of our plan to visit the Alley, and decided it was the perfect opportunity to catch Hermione unprotected and get revenge. Then – oops, we gotta keep mum; Dad's coming."

Arthur walked in, looking delighted. Obviously had had heard none of the moral dilemma which Ron had just described. "Ron – Mr. Giles – I just had the most wonderful idea! I've been in touch with Hogwarts--"

- - -

The next day, Ron and his father Apparated into Hogsmeade with Giles, in front of the Three Broomsticks Tavern.

The manager of the tavern, Madame Rosmerta, was an impressive, forceful woman and even a beauty. She didn't look like a barmaid, she more resembled a queen whom Giles had seen in a recent, classy movie. Which one--? Ah, yes, HAMLET.

But Arthur, after making the introductions between Rosmerta and Giles, turned his attention to an even more impressive woman sitting in a corner of the tavern.

Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Giles. I am sorry not to meet you at Hogwarts, but we have not yet succeeded in dismantling the _Repello Muggletum _spell on the castle_."_

"My niece was able to override such a spell by a _Finite_ charm."

"Yes, but she was not contending with a Dumbledore enchantment!"

"Then I wouldn't want to put you to the trouble for a couple-hours visit."

"I hope your visit will be more than that. Let me explain. I have had several talks with Miss Granger, and we have reached the conclusion that it is crucial to teach the next generation of Hogwarts students how to live without the service of elves. One solution is the one your family uses, Arthur – simple hard work. But other wizards may be too lazy for that. We must teach them how to use Muggle devices."

"Yes, yes," said Arthur, and Giles could tell why he was overjoyed. His fascination with Muggle machinery would no longer be an eccentric quirk, but a key part of wizard education.

"The most logical class to introduce the pupils to the devices would be Muggle Studies. However, the current teacher of the class, a Muggle-born witch named Esmerelda Jones, has just taken leave. She is preparing to have a baby. We need a replacement for the rest of the year."

"I thought teachers at Hogwarts seldom married," observed Giles.

"I did not say that she was married," McGonagall said severely.

"Oh."

"And besides, Esmerelda has really been cut off from the Muggle world since she entered Hogwarts at the age of eleven. What better teacher could we possibly find for Muggle Studies than a Muggle?"

"Me?"

"Precisely."

"But as a Muggle, I probably would not receive much respect from pupils. An eleven-year-old would be able to cast more spells than I could."

"Tell them of all the successes you have had fighting vampires and demons. It worked for Lockhart, but your case, it would actually be true. Even the account of you breaking into the castle on horseback may do the trick. Would you be interested?"

Giles considered. For years his life had focused on helping Buffy be the best possible Slayer, and his first loyalty was to her. But she was surrounded by friends who could help her through any difficulty. In England, on the other hand, he could play a role in freeing an entire race from oppression.

"I would be honoured, Headmistress."

- - -

At that moment, seven time-zones away in California, Buffy Summers awoke from a peaceful sleep, and all the ugliness of Earthly life seemed to descend on her. Up to a few months ago she would never have noticed them. But she had been to heaven, and in comparison even the most delightful sensation on Earth struck her as crude and harsh. And the current situation was not delightful.

A few inches away lay Spike, still asleep. She felt no warmth from him, neither literally – vampires were cold-blooded – nor emotionally. She was convinced that he was just treating her as a sex object. But it wasn't like she wasn't doing the same thing.

Last night he had introduced her to another strange, gross sexual practice. She had gone along because she was desperate for some novelty, anything that would distract her from the futile longing for heaven. But once it was over she felt dirty, and more miserable than ever.

It was, she now realized, a terrible mistake to confide her feelings to Spike and expect him to be helpful. A vampire regarded humans as prey, and though Spike's chip kept him from actually biting her, he could still attack her emotionally. She desperately needed a real friend, but all of the Scooby Gang had their own problems. Tara and Willow not on speaking terms, Xander clearly starting to have cold feet about marriage, Dawn acting like a brat — you'd think they were all still teenagers.

If only Giles would come back ---

THE END

_(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Julie Christie, who played Madame Rosmerta in PRISONER OF AZKABAN, had earlier played Queen Gertrude in Kenneth Branaugh's HAMLET.)_


End file.
